Thanks a lot for the help...and putting my mind at ease.Yea to get the timing cover off you need to remove the harmonic balencer.. You'll need 2 big wrenchs for that i forgot the size.. and the crank/cam shaft bolts are big too i think they are like 22mm or something i forgot its been too long since i did it.. My chain actually was in good shape like new actually.. I only replaced it because i had to take my timing cover off to replace that bad gasket, it was more of a might as well thing.. So honestly i bet your chain is perfectly fine.... The thing is my Jeep wasnt leaking prior to me replacing the radiator cap.. when i replaced my old cap it started leaking.. Reason is my old cap i didnt have to push down and twist to take it off.. You just twist and it comes off.. That means the spring was weak so pressure in the system wasnt what it was suppose to be.. So new cap more pressure and it started leaking like a faucet out of the timing cover.
So for all you know your gasket could be bad but it isnt leaking due to an old radiator cap.. Thats why i tell people to be carefull replacing the cap because of my own experience.
Honestly I understand your fear on the timing cover and chain ect.. I had a friend helping me.. I got lucky i was in advance auto parts i met a guy and we started talking about cars.. I mentioned my Jeep and the problems i was having with it and he offerd to help me.. Said to follow him to his house he had $30k in tools in his garage and he was a mechanic for 11 years.. Told him i had no money to pay him i was broke.. he said he wasnt money motivated so yea... he had snap on tools and everything and he helped big time with all the work... I paid him $75 from the money i g ot back from renting the harmonic balencer puller.. It was all i had.
I would say between me replacing my viscous coupler, to the timing chain/water pump ect. and the intake manifold.. The timing chain thing was the hardest one to do. But honestly if you take your time like we did took like 8-9 hours and go slow and take breaks on a difficulty scale its probly a 6 out of 10.. The intake is probly a 5, the viscous coupler was probly a 5 as well. The only thing you need to be carefull of like i said is marking where the bolts came out of.. Take pictures of every bolt you pull and put them together with lables.. I garuntee you will forget.. As for the timing being messed up, that was my friends biggest worry as well.. And he is a mechanic the most ive ever done was change oil prior to this.... lol... He was worried right before we fired it up that it would run like crapp.. So we turned it on and let it run without coolant for a second or two to listen to the engine.. Turned out it was fine..
The crankshaft you dont have to worry about moving its the camshaft.. pull the gear out slightly then get a sharpie and mark the block/shaft so when you do pull the gears off if it does move you can move it back.. Just pull it out slowely and youll be fine.. Lots of people have done this on these forums.
I do have a pretty close friend whom I could call to help with the harmonic balancer removal and install. Just hope he's available.
Which is worse? Taking it off, or putting it back on?
Also....do you know of a write up for the whole camshaft position trick? I am not sure I follow.
Thanks again! :thumbsup:
